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The Marvel Super Heroes is an American / Canadian animated television series starring five comic-book superheroes from Marvel Comics. The first TV series based on Marvel characters, it debuted in syndication on U.S. television in 1966.
Produced by Grantray-Lawrence Animation, headed by Grant Simmons, Ray Patterson and Robert Lawrence, it was an umbrella series of five segments, each approximately seven minutes long, broadcast on local television stations that aired the show at different times. The series ran initially as a half-hour program made up of three seven-minute segments of a single superhero, separated by a short description of one of the other four heroes. It has also been broadcast as a mixture of various heroes in a half-hour timeslot, and as individual segments as filler or within a children's TV program.
Sixty-five half-hour episodes of three seven-minute chapters were produced, for a total of 195 segments that ran initially in broadcast syndication from September 1, 1966 to December 1, 1966.
The series, produced in color, had extremely limited animation produced by xerography, consisting of photocopied images taken directly from the comics and manipulated to minimize the need for animation production. The cartoons were presented as a series of static comic-strip panel images; generally the only movement involved the lips, when a character spoke, the occasional arm or leg, or a fully animated black silhouette. The series used the original stories largely in their entirety, showcasing Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Don Heck art, among others, from the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books.
Stan Lee, Marvel's editor and art director at the time, said in 2004 that he believed publisher Martin Goodman negotiated the deal with Grantray-Lawrence and that Lawrence chose the characters to be used. Lawrence rented Lee and his wife a penthouse apartment at 30 East 60th Street, near Madison Avenue, for Lee's use while he worked on the series. (Lee lived in Hewlett Harbor, New York, on Long Island, at the time.) Lee recalled, "I really don't remember any reaction from the Marvel artists involved. I wish I could claim to have written the [theme song] lyrics, because I think they're brilliant, but alas, I didn't". In the meantime, Grantray-Lawrence subcontracted production of The Mighty Thor segments to Paramount Cartoon Studios (the animation division of Paramount Pictures, formerly known as Famous Studios), headed at that time by Fleischer Studios veteran Shamus Culhane.
Marvel announced the series in the "Marvel Bullpen Bulletins" of the November 1966 issues, stating in that monthly fan page's hyperbolic style that, "It won't be long before our swingin' super-heroes [sic] make their star-studded debut on TV, appearing five nights a week — that's right, five — count 'em — five nights a week, for a half-hour each night. So you've just got time to make sure your set's in good working order — check your local paper for time and station — and prepare to have a ball!"
For WNAC-TV in Boston, Arthur Pierce portrayed Captain America in live-action segments for the show. Actors portraying other characters, including Dr. Doom, Hulk, and Bucky, also appeared in live-action segments. The segments were scripted by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel.
Guest characters
Appearing in guest roles were:
The X-Men — The original lineup of the Angel, the Beast, Cyclops, Iceman, and Marvel Girl appeared in a Sub-Mariner episode, "Dr. Doom's Day / The Doomed Allegiance / Tug of Death". The story was an adaptation of Fantastic Four #6 (Sept. 1962), but since Grantray-Lawrence Animation did not own rights to the Fantastic Four, the producers substituted the X-Men — although referring to them instead as "Allies for Peace". However, the characters retained their original designs and individual names from the comics.
The Avengers — Episode 8 of The Incredible Hulk was an adaptation of Avengers #2 (November 1963), and co-starred Thor, Iron Man (with his all-golden armor (as published in the original comic book) recolored to match the red and gold design featured in the Iron Man episodes), Giant-Man, the Wasp. The lineup beginning in Avengers #4 (March 1964), with Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man, the Wasp and the newly installed Captain America, appears in several Captain America episodes, as does the later line-up from Avengers #16 with Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch.
Episodes
Each episode consisted of three chapters.
Captain America
Episode 1: The Origin of Captain America, Wreckers Among Us, Enter Red Skull
Episode 2: The Sentinel and the Spy, The Fantastic Origin of the Red Skull, Lest Tyranny Triumph
Episode 3: Midnight in Greymoor Castle, If This Be Treason, When You Lie Down With Dogs
Episode 4: Return of Captain America, The Search, To Live Again
Episode 5: Zemo and the Masters of Evil, Zemo Strikes, The Fury of Zemo
Episode 6: The Revenge of Captain America, The Trap Is Sprung, So Dies A Villain
Episode 7: Let The Past Be Gone, The Adaptoid, The Super Adaptoid
Episode 8: Coming of the Swordsman, Vengeance Is Ours, Emissary of Destruction
Episode 9: Bitter Taste of Defeat, Sorcery Triumph, The Road Back
Episode 10: Doorway to Doom, When the Commissar Commands, Duel Or Die
Episode 11: The Sleeper Shall Awake, Where Walks the Sleeper, The Final Sleep
Episode 12: The Girl from Cap's Past, The Stage Is Set, 30 Minutes to Live
Episode 13: The Red Skull Lives, He Who Holds the Cosmic Cube, The Red Skull Supreme
The Incredible Hulk
Episode 1: The Origin of the Hulk, Enter the Gorgon, To Be a Man
Episode 2: Terror of the Toadmen, Bruce Banner: Wanted For Treason, Hulk Runs Amok
Episode 3: A Titan Rides the Train, The Horde of Humanoids, On the Rampage!
Episode 4: The Power of Dr. Banner, Where Strides the Behemoth, Back from the Dead
Episode 5: Micro Monsters, The Lair of the Leader, To Live Again
Episode 6: Brawn Against Brain, Captured At Last, Enter the Chameleon
Episode 7: Within this Monster Dwells a Man; Another World, Another Foe; The Wisdom of the Watcher
Episode 8: The Space Phantom, Sting of the Wasp, Exit the Hulk
Episode 9: Hulk vs. Metal Master, The Master Tests His Metal, Mind Over Metal
Episode 10: The Ringmaster, Captive of the Circus, The Grand Finale
Episode 11: Enter Tyrannus, Beauty & The Beast, They Dwell in the Depths
Episode 12: Terror of the T-Gun, I Against A World, Bruce Banner is the Hulk
Episode 13: The Man Called Boomerang; Hulk Intervenes; Less Than Monster, More Than Man
The Invincible Iron Man
Episode 1: Double Disaster, Enter Happy Hogan, Of Ice and Men
Episode 2: The Death of Tony Stark!, The Hands of the Mandarin, The Origin of The Mandarin
Episode 4: The Mandarin's Revenge!, The Mandarin's Death Ray, No One Escapes the Mandarin
Episode 5: Crimson Dynamo!, The Crimson Dynamo Strikes, Captured
Episode 6: Enter Hawkeye, So Spins the Web, Triple Jeopardy
Episode 7: If I Die, Let It Be With Honor; Fight On, For A World Is Watching; What Price Victory?
Episode 8: The Moleman [sic] Strikes, The Dragon of the Flames, Decision Under the Earth
Episode 9: The Other Iron Man!, Death Duel, Into The Jaws of the Death
Episode 10: The Cliffs of Doom!, The False Captain America, The Unmasking
Episode 11: My Life For Yours, The Black Knight's Gambit, The Menace of the Monster
Episode 12: The Dream Master, If A Man Be Mad, Duel In Space
Episode 13: Beauty and the Armor, Peril in Space, As A City Watches
The Mighty Thor
Episode 1: Trapped by Loki, The Vengeance of Loki, The Defeat of Loki
Episode 2: Chained Evil; Sandu, Master of the Supernatural; Enchanted Hammer
Episode 3: Enchantress and Executioner, Giants Walk the Earth, Battle of the Gods
Episode 4: At the Mercy of Loki, Trial of the Gods, Return To Earth
Episode 5: The Absorbing Man; In My Hands, This Hammer; Vengeance of the Thunder God
Episode 6: To Kill A Thunder God, The Day of the Destroyer, Terror of the Tomb
Episode 7: The Grey Gargoyle, The Wrath of Odin, Triumph in Stone
Episode 8: The Mysterious Mister Hyde, Revenge of Mr. Hyde, Thor's Showdown with Mr. Hyde
Episode 9: Every Hand Against Him, The Power of the Thunder God, The Power of Odin
Episode 10: The Tomorrow Man, Return of Zarrko, Slave of Tomorrow Man
Episode 11: Enter Hercules, When Meet Immortals, Whom the Gods Would Destroy
Episode 12: The Power of Pluto, The Verdict of Zeus, Thunder in the Netherworld
Episode 13: Molto, the Lava Man; Invasion of the Lava Man; Living Rock
Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner
Episode 1: Peril in the Surface World, So Spreads the Net, The Unveiling
Episode 2: The Start of the Quest!, Escape to Nowhere, A Prince There Was
Episode 3: Not All My Power Can Save Me!, When Fails the Quest, The End of the Quest
Episode 4: Atlantis Under Attack, The Sands of Terror, The Iron Idol of Infamy
Episode 5: The Thing from Space, No Escape for Namor, A Prince Dies Fighting
Episode 6: To Conquer a Crown, A Prince No More, He Who Wears the Crown
Episode 7: To Walk Amongst Men!, When Rises the Behemoth, To the Death
Episode 8: The World Within!, Atlantis Is Doomed, Quest for X-Atom
Episode 9: Beware the Siren Song, Spell of Lorelei, Return of the Mud Beast
Episode 10: Ship of Doom, Fall of Atlantis, Forces of Vengeance
Episode 11: The Planet of Doom, To Test a Prince, To Save a Planet
Episode 12: Dr. Doom's Day, The Doomed Allegiance, Tug of Death
Episode 13: Let the Stranger Die..!, To Destroy a Tyrant, Save A City
Stations
Source: Marvel Comics house ads in Strange Tales #150 (Nov. 1966) and The Amazing Spider-Man #45 (Feb. 1967), each of which said the list was "incomplete at time of publication".
Alphabetized by city
WTEN-TV / Channel 10 • Albany, New York
WBAL / Channel 11 • Baltimore, Maryland
WNEM / Channel 5 • Bay City/Saginaw, Michigan
WNAC / Channel 7 • Boston, Massachusetts
WKBW / Channel 7 • Buffalo, New York
WAZ / Channel 3 • Charleston, West Virginia (became WSAZ / Channel 3 • Huntington, West Virginia)
WPIX-TV / Channel 11 • New York City, New York (late 1970s)
WPGH-TV / Channel 53• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WSBK-TV / Channel 38• Boston, Massachusetts
WXIX-TV / Channel 19• Cincinnati, Ohio
XHGC-TV (Canal 5 by Televisa, Mexico)
WVTV-TV / Channel 18• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
WHCT-TV / Channel 18• Hartford, Connecticut
KCOP-TV / Channel 13• Los Angeles, California
KTXA-TV / Channel 21• Dallas, Texas
WNEW-TV / Channel 5• New York City, New York
WSMV-TV / Channel 27• Worcester, Massachusetts
WTAF-TV / Channel 29• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
WPHL-TV / Channel 17• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TV Record / Sao Paulo, Brazil
Ulbra TV / Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Home media
Segments of the series appear on at least two VHShome video releases, containing three videocassettes each: Marvel Superheroes: Triple Pack #1 (UPC #024543004127) and Marvel's Mightiest Heroes: Triple Pack #2. Fox Video released a version titled Marvel's Mightiest Super Heroes Gift Set (EAN #0024543004134).
In 2003, Hulk segments giving his origin story appeared as an extra on the Buena Vista Home Entertainment DVD release of the 1996 animated television series The Incredible Hulk.
In September 2004, Buena Vista Home Video announced plans to release the series on June 28, 2005, as a five-DVD set titled The 60's Superheroes. By February 2005, however, the release was off the schedule.
On May 21, 2007, the UK company Maximum Entertainment released four two-disc sets, for Region 2, each set containing 13 episodes of the Captain America, Iron Man, Sub-Mariner and Thor segments respectively, with each episode re-edited into continuous, half-hour segments. On August 25, 2008, the UK company Liberation Entertainment released a two-disc set of the Hulk segments, re-edited into 13 20-minute episodes..